PROGRESS REPORT UPDATE ON INCLUSION & ACCESSIBILITY FOR TOUCH CANADA BROADCASTING LP
Progress Report
1 June 2025
- General
- Introduction
Touch Canada Broadcasting Limited Partnership’s first Progress Report under the Accessible Canada Act following the initial Accessibility Plan in 2024. This report showcases our commitment working towards an inclusive, barrier-free accessible environment for our employees, audiences, clients, anyone visiting our business, and listening or visiting us digitally.
Touch Canada Broadcasting Limited Partnership (Touch) believes inclusivity and accessibility will always be something to strive towards. This Progress Report shows the initial steps taken to improve accessibility for our audience and staff throughout our organization. We will continue identifying, eliminating, and preventing barriers to accessibilities so our audience and clients can utilize all our properties from radio to airways, to digital components, fully.
Touch is a Canadian independent broadcaster, dedicated to serving diverse Canadian audiences throughout Calgary, Red Deer, & Edmonton on the radio and worldwide on our digital platforms and website(s). Our mission is to bring positivity and encouragement to our audience. Everyone can use more positivity and encouragement, and we’re excited to share that throughout Alberta and the world.
The feedback we have received over the past year from persons with disabilities, employees, listeners, those who frequent our website, and accessibility experts from Adaptabilities and Bee Vee Professional Services has helped with developing this Progress Report.
- Touch Canada Broadcasting Accessibility Head of Command:
If you would like to provide Touch with feedback relating to accessibility and our organization, our Feedback Process, our Accessibility Plan 2024-2027, or our Progress Report please contact our Accessibility Champion who will be pleased to assist:
Wendy Koebel, is our Accessibility Head of Command, and is responsible for receiving all accessibility-related feedback, questions and comments. You may reach Wendy through the following methods:
Mailing address:
Box I44 700, 5241 Calgary Trail NW.
Edmonton, Alberta T6H 5G8
Phone: 780.466.4930
Email: [email protected]
Online Accessibility Form(s): https://www.shinefm.com/accessibility/ https://www.amthelight.com/accessibility/
Requesting Alternate Formats: Accessibility Plan and Accessibility Feedback Process
Our Accessibility Plan, Progress Report, and Accessibility Feedback Process are available in alternative formats: print, larger font print, audio, and an electronic pdf version. To request an alternate format, please contact Wendy Koebel using the contact details above.
Anonymous Feedback
If you prefer to remain anonymous, please do not include personal details like your name or contact information in your communications with our organization. Any personal information you do provide will remain confidential unless you explicitly consent to share it with others.
- Accessibility Priorities – Section 5 of the Accessible Canada Act
The purpose of the Accessible Canada Act is to allow all Canadians, especially Canadians with disabilities, to live in a country without barriers to accessibility by January 2040.
Section 5 of the Accessible Canada Act identifies the following areas where the identification, removal, and prevention of accessibility barriers must be pursued:
- Employment
- The built environment
- Information and communications technologies
- Communications other than information and communications technologies
- The procurement of goods, services, and facilities
- The design and delivery of programs and services
- Transportation
- Other areas designated under regulation, such as conditions of licence for broadcasters.
The following portions of our Accessibility Plan address these priority areas of accessibility
1. Employment: Touch Canada Broadcasting ltd.
Touch is committed to building an inclusive and accessible workplace with an equal opportunity environment. During the first year of our Accessibility Plan, we’ve focused on our audience, clients, and internally with our employees. Wanting our employees to feel they could bring up questions or concerns involving accessibility or inclusion. Touch developed systems and forms for these inquiries. Developed a committee to address concerns and work towards bettering the organization. Touch has moved into new buildings/facilities in Calgary & Edmonton over the last year so we have worked on addressing any accessibility issues or questions our staff may have. These are handled respectfully to alleviate any potential concerns.
Key initiatives Touch has undertaken include working to establish clear lines of communication with employees. This allows them the opportunity to share publicly, privately, or anonymously if they have any inclusivity or accessibility concerns with Touch or in terms of the move into the new facilities.
As we move forward, Touch will continue to tweak and refine our approach by regularly reviewing our employment practices, identifying opportunities for improvement, and engaging with employees to ensure a welcoming, accessible environment.
| Initial Accessibility Plan | Action Taken in 2024 |
| Touch to develop Accessibility Plan: | Touch’s initial plan was developed. We surveyed our staff and developed plans to open lines of communication for staff to share publicly, privately or anonymously any accessibility concerns they may have. |
| Update: Progress Report | May 2025 |
| Touch Progress Report: Building Inclusion and Accessibility | We have maintained the open lines of communication with our employees. Have moved to new facilities in Edmonton and Calgary. Continue to maintain the progress made. Allowing employees and visitors to voice any concerns directly with Touch and the Accessibility Committee. |
| Touch Future Plans/Initiatives: | To continue making this conversation front of mind for all our employees. The way we make things better for our employees, clients, and visitors is through communication and being open to bettering ourselves. |
2. Built Environment
Touch is committed to creating an accessible physical environment; ensuring employees can navigate and use our facilities independently with ease. This was discussed above. During the first year of our Accessibility Plan, Touch focused on moving to a new building and letting our employees comfortably get used to their new work environment. Continuing to offer a safe way to voice concerns about the current working conditions in terms of accessibility and inclusivity,
As Touch moves forward, the organization will regularly assess the building and work environment to ensure it meets evolving accessibility needs. Touch remains dedicated to identifying, preventing, and eliminating barriers in our facilities to foster a truly inclusive and accessible workplace.
| Initial Accessibility Plan | Action Taken in 2024 |
| *SEE TABLE 1 ABOVE | *SEE TABLE 1 ABOVE |
| Building & Employee info together | Building & Employee info together |
3. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
Touch will continue ensuring that employees, followers, listeners, and clients have access to information and communication technologies, regardless of their abilities. During the first year of our Accessibility Plan, the focus was on developing systems and a plan to better reach our full audience and become more accessible digitally as a company.
Key initiatives in this area are ensuring our graphics and posts online and on social media are more accessible to our audience. This includes labelling graphics properly and including alt. text to help those who may not be able to see and identify graphics. This helps everyone be aware of the topics being discussed and shown. Another adjustment was including subtitles/close captions to our videos on social media and website. Working towards improving our use of this feature has allowed more followers to engage and interact. Touch has discovered that a lot of the resources used daily such as Microsoft, web developers, app developers, etc. all have internal tools to help content be more accessible for more people. Being aware of these options have already allowed Touch to take advantage of suggested ways to be more accessible.
The organization will continue to assess and enhance our ICT accessibility, regularly reviewing our policies, platforms, and tools to ensure they remain aligned with best practices and the evolving needs of our employees and audience. We want everyone to be able to enjoy our content.
| Initial Accessibility Plan | Action Taken in 2024 |
| Develop Plan for a more inclusive/accessible environment on our website, APP’s, social media (ICT): | Talk with experts in accessibility and inclusion, develop plans to better connect with all who may engage with us. |
| Update Progress Report | May 2025 |
| TCB Progress Report: inclusive/accessible environment on our website, APP’s, social media (ICT): | Web, App, and digital improvements. Better use of alt. text and titles on our graphics on our app’s, websites, and social media. Along with including subtitles/close captioning on videos when possible. Also looking for opportunities to use resources other organizations have developed to be more inclusive for all audiences. |
| Future Plans/Initiatives: | To regularly meet with industry experts and do our own research to continue to stay current with proper protocols and ways to better our own ICT practices. |
4. Communication, Other Than ICT
Touch is committed to ensuring that both internal and external communications are accessible, inclusive, and reflective of the diverse needs of our audiences, employees, and clients. During the first year of our Accessibility Plan, the focus was on welcoming and furthering the conversation. Welcoming change and recognizing there are ways to be more accessible to our audience.
The key initiatives in communication really focus on normalizing the conversation/focus about improving accessibility. As Touch moves forward, we will continue to review and enhance our communication strategies and will always consider external and internal feedback that guides us towards an inclusive and equitable environment.
| Initial Accessibility Plan | Action Taken in 2024 |
| Embracing Positive Change: Communication | We focused on welcoming the conversation. Welcoming change and recognizing there are ways we can be more accessible to our audience. |
| TCB Progress Report: | May 2025 |
| TCB Progress Report: Communication | Normalizing the conversation. This is an ongoing project for Touch. Continuing to have conversations and allowing our team the freedom and ability to bring up concerns comfortably is and will always be a goal. |
| Touch Future Plans/Initiatives: | Like the current progress report update. Continuing the conversation and being open to adjusting to best practices available. |
5. Procurement of Goods, Services, and Facilities
Touch is dedicated to ensuring that accessibility is a priority in the procurement of goods, services, and facilities. During the first year of our Accessibility Plan, we focused on our external partners for the services we offer. Radio advertising used to be a cold call and meet in person experiences almost exclusively. Today our organization’s advertising representatives can meet via zoom, facetime, interact via email, text, and we will continue to meet our clients and consumers of our media where they’re at.
One key initiative we’ve undertaken is our organization’s in the process of flipping over to Office 365. This will help our teams better communicate within the office and externally with outside partners and clients.
As we progress, we will continue to be open to discovering ways to enhance our practices by regularly considering our guidelines and policies to ensure they continue progressing towards a barrier free Canada.
| Initial Accessibility Plan | Action Taken in 2024 |
| Gaining information on Services Offered: | We were able to extend the conversation to our clients and our team internally to see if there were ways we can better meet needs. |
| TCB Progress Report: | May 2025 |
| Updating Procurement of Goods: | Our team uses the tools at their disposal to meet clients where they’re at. Online, in person, facetime. Gone are the days of one size fits all so the best practice here is to work with clients in the best way that works for both parties. |
| Future Plans/Initiatives: | Office 365 will make email and Teams meetings easier for our team to communicate internally but will also make things easier to communicate externally. Will learn of additional ways it can help once we’ve officially flipped over. |
6. Design and Delivery of Programs and Services
Touch is committed to ensuring that our programs and services are designed and delivered with accessibility in mind. We want to ensure that diverse needs are met. Our Program Directors ensure that these programs are inclusive, and they’re committed to making any product we put onto the airways accessible to everyone.
No specific key initiatives or changes to highlight with the programs on-air. These programs are inclusive to everyone, and Touch’s Program Directors will continue to put advertisements, programs, and songs on air with inclusion and accessibility for all in mind.
7. Transportation (If Applicable)
Touch does not provide transportation services, and as such, no barriers were identified or actions required in this area under our Accessibility Plan.
8. Licence Conditions and Requirements Under the Broadcasting Act:
The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) regulates and supervises broadcasting in Canada. As such, the CRTC requires broadcasters to comply with certain accessibility requirements, such as closed captioning, described video and audio description of audiovisual content (these obligations can vary depending on a broadcaster’s licensing requirements).
In our Accessibility Plan we identify these requirements by providing reference to the relevant CRTC regulations, policies, orders, and decisions. And then we work to establish our plan and updates based on current CRTC conditions and best practices of connecting with our audience and clients. Touch has historically fully complied with all requirements of its five licenced Radio Stations and intends to continue fulfilling the licensing conditions with the CRTC in the future.
- Consultations
In alignment with the principles of the Accessible Canada Act, Touch conducted both internal and external consultations to gather valuable feedback on our progress in implementing the Accessibility Plan. These consultations allowed us to engage directly with employees, our listeners, digital audience, and external organizations to ensure that accessibility remains an ongoing focus.
- Consultation Partners
Touch has continued to communicate with its initial Accessibility and Inclusion partners. Keeping open lines of communication with organizations like Bee Vee Professional Services and AdaptAbilities. Also conversing with Inclusion Alberta in hopes of building a relationship to help continue forward.
Bee Vee Professional Services focuses on a more inclusive workspace. They’ve provided tips and suggestions that have been essential in developing our initial plan and keeping us on course.
AdaptAbilities helped paint a picture of ways Touch can move ahead. The original discussion was focused on the principles of universal design (design universally usable by everyone), and how it will appeal to the highest populations. Touch was already somewhat doing this, but the AdaptAbilities relationship has helped us put our plans through the Universal Design filter to better reach the widest audience.
The Inclusion Alberta discussion was with their team and deaf volunteers to see what we can do to make our website and social media more inclusive to those with hearing loss.
- Consultation Next Steps
Touch will continue to seek out more conversations and discussions with individuals with disabilities to find out to better serve those directly impacted. Touch will regularly do internal surveys and encourage conversations amongst its employees. And the organization wants to maintain its current relationships with our Inclusion & Adaptabilities partners, but also continue to look for other organizations championing this cause and advocating for a more inclusive Canada.
- Feedback
Moving forward, part of our commitment to continuous improvement will be feedback from the various ways Touch gathers input on accessibility barriers from both internal and external partners. This feedback helps identify, address, and prevent barriers while shaping future decisions to improve and extend our reach towards full inclusivity. We will continue encouraging feedback from our team and externally via listeners, clients, and partners who can give their input anonymously, or via phone call, email, or website form.
- External Feedback Received:
- What we heard: We heard from client (more than one): Not everyone wants an in-person meeting. Not everyone communicates best via phone calls.
- What we did: This one is straightforward. Our teams have adapted well over last few years meeting partners and clients where they’re at, whether this means in person, text communication, on screen meeting etc.
- Internal Feedback Received:
- What we heard: One employee’s feedback mentioned posted videos possibly having sound issues or not coming out clear or for those who may have hearing difficulties.
- What we did: Straight forward approach once again, we’ve encouraged our team to improve their video descriptions and turn on closed caption/subtitle opportunities when available on our website and social media pages.
- What we heard: One employee’s feedback when this project began was that the organization internally has more opportunities for those with disabilities to share ways to improve how things currently are.
- What we did: Developed an Inclusion & Accessibility Committee and multiple ways for any staff to express their own suggestions or for employees to voice concerns.
Continuous Improvement:
Touch values the feedback received both internal and externally, it provides opportunities to improve accessibility at Touch. We will continue to monitor feedback and take proactive steps to address any barriers that arise.
- Conclusion
Touch thanks you for taking the time to read our first Progress Report following the publication of our 2024-2027 Accessibility Plan. As an organization, we reflect on the progress made during the first year of our Accessibility Plan, Touch remains committed to creating an inclusive and accessible environment for our listeners, followers, employees, and clients. We recognize that accessibility is something we’ll need to continue striving for and we will continue to identify and address barriers in the years ahead. As an organization, look forward to building a more inclusive and accessible future.